Introducing The Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Tourbillon Limited Edition (Live Pics & Pricing)
A totally new kind of zero-reset function makes this a serious precision instrument.
Quick Take
The Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Tourbillon is quite an interesting take on the flying tourbillon, which is a tourbillon mechanism that is anchored on only one side. The absence of an upper bridge on a flying tourbillon doesn't just provide an unobstructed view of the mechanism; it also causes it to look as though it floats, or flies – hence the name. This mechanism, which may or may not have been invented in Glashütte, Germany, has become strongly associated with German watchmaking in general, and with the watches of Glashütte Original in particular.
Glashütte Original's innovative take on this movement, for which it has applied for two patents, is marked by the implementation of a novel stop-seconds mechanism combined with a reset-to-zero ability. With the Senator Chronometer Tourbillon Limited Edition, pulling the crown out one click stops the tourbillon cage from rotating. Since the indication of the seconds is mounted on the one-minute tourbillon, this stops the seconds as well. Pulling the crown out to the next position and holding it there, causes the tourbillon cage to advance clockwise – fluidly, through the mediation of a governor – to zero, and the minutes hand to advance to the next minute index. Glashütte Original calls this feature – which allows the wearer to set the time precisely to the exact time – a "second stop and reset function with minute detent." This feature is also present in less complicated models from the Senator Chronometer range, though doing so with a flying tourbillon is quite a bit more complex, and led to an application for two patents.
The caliber 58-05 movement is meticulously finished on its front and back with what Glashütte Original calls Glashütte stripes (they're done in Glashütte after all) in a manner typical of high-end watches from both Germany and Switzerland. And the elaborate engraving on its front is executed by hand. This type of decoration is also endemic to the German hamlet of Glashütte, though it is more typically reserved for a small portion of the movement, most often the balance cock. Here, the engraver has a large canvas to show their skill. If you look at the seconds chapter ring surrounding the tourbillon, you can see that it is a piece of screwed down sapphire glass.
Initial Thoughts
This is quite a watch to behold. The finishing is quite nice, and the decoration on the dial side, while certainly ornate, is an impressive demonstration of the engraver's skill in the Glashütte style.
There is quite a visual disparity between the austere German design of the movement as seen from the back and the wildly creative engraving that surrounds the tourbillon escapement on the front. There is a well-known precedent for baroque watch movement decoration from Glashütte and its nearest big city, Dresden, a city known for its many architectural flourishes. But typically, more elaborate engraving of this kind is restricted to the back of the watch. A flying tourbillon does not have a visible balance cock, after all, and it feels as is Glashutte Original is making up for this by surrounding it with lavish ornateness.
The ability set the flying tourbillon so precisely is a useful feature given that the watch itself is a chronometer, a relative rarity for tourbillons. This in itself may come as something as a surprise given that the tourbillon was initially invented in the service of accuracy. Now, of course, such mechanisms are made chiefly as expressions of the watchmaker's skill, and for their sheer wow-factor on the wrist. The Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Tourbillon Limited Edition's chronometer certification comes not from Switzerland's COSC, but from the German Calibration Service in Glashütte.
The Basics
Brand: Glashütte Original
Model: Senator Chronometer Tourbillon Limited Edition
Reference Number: 1-58-05-01-03-30
Diameter: 42mm
Thickness: 12mm
Case Material: Polished and satin-brushed platinum
Dial Color: Openworked with blue dial for time display
Indexes: Applied
Lume: No
Water Resistance: 5 bar
Strap/Bracelet: Dark blue Louisiana alligator strap with platinum buckle
The Movement
Caliber: Caliber 58-05
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds (on tourbillon), power reserve indicator
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Winding: Manually wound
Frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 vph)
Chronometer Certified: Each watch is certified as a chronometer in accordance with the DIN 8319 standard by the German Calibration Service in Glashütte.
Pricing & Availability
Price: €150,000
Limited Edition: 25 pieces
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